Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-01-13
STUDY OF INSANITY.
Meaning of DelusiOns Hallucin.
atiuns and Illusions.

Meaning OF DelusiOns Hallucin.
ations and Illusions.
Great confusion exists in the minds Of
many people with regard to the proper
meaning Of the words delusion, hallucin.
alton and illusion. 1t would perhaps
not be amiss to give definition of these
words. By ''delusion" is meant a
faulty belief, out of which person can
not. be reasoned by adequate methods
for the time being. Delusions are the
principal evidences of insanity, but not
all persons who have delusions are con-
sidered insane.
By an "hallucination" is meant the
perception of an object without real
presence to justify the impression. For
instance, if l should see human forms,
while in reality no one is near. or hear
voices when no one has spoken, these
would be hallucinations. 1t is perfectly
possible for q sane man to have hallu.
cinations, but the impressions are always
corrected. The insane man cannot cor
rect these impress sions, and believes
firmly that he has seen persons when in
reality no one was near, and that he has
heard voices when in reality no one has
spoken. These, then, become delusions;
that is, faulty beliefs out of which he
cannot be reasoned.
An '.illusion" is the perception of an
object actually present, but in characters
which that object does not possess. For
instance, if should see bright cloud
in the sky and take it for fiery chariot,
or see an old friend in the person of a
stranger, these would be illusions. If l
would correct the impression and be
convinced that the fiery chariot was
only q bright cloud, or that the friend
was in reality stranger, then they
would be illusions proper. If could
not be convinced of the falsity of my
first conclusion they would become in.
sane illusions, or more properly delu.
sions.
In the insane the delusions take one
or the other of these forms, aud hence
they ore termed insane hallucinations or
insane illusions. The insane hallucina.
tions and illusions may occur i'll any one
of the senses-in the sense of sight.
hearing, smell, taste or feeling; that is,
cutaneous sensibiiity. Hallucinations
and illusions of sight are very common
among the insane, and their form de-
pends upon the disposition of mind and
direction Of the thoughts of the person.
Thus in the melancholic they are always
of depressing character. He sees the
flames of hell encompassing him about,
or sees his children being tortured. while
in the maniac they are OF the opposite
kind-exhilaratipg, exciting, exalting.
He sees God in all his glory; heaven
opens up before his eyes.
Hallucinations and illusions of hear.
ing are most common among the insane.
Voices are most commonly heard. In
the melancholic these voices are of re.
proach or menace, or voices that com.
mand him to commit some atrocious act.
The following is good example of pure
hallucinations of hearing: A young
man had not spoken a word for six
months or performed any voluntary act.
One day he seized bottle and threw il
at the head of an attendant. After this
he remained quiet and immovable, and
recovered in few months. When
asked why he had thrown the bottle, he
said: ''Because heard voice saying,
kill somebody and you will be deliv
ered.' / did not kill the man, therefore
nv lot could not be altered, and I re
msined quiet and immovable. More.
over the same voice repeated without
ceasing. Move and you will be dead.
This warning was the cause of my i'm
mobility"
Hallucinations and illusions of smell
and taste are not SO common, yet they
occur, and may be of pleasant or un
pleasant nature, depending upon the
disposition of the person. From thest
often arise the ideas of insane patients
that they are being compelled to breathe
noxious gases, as chlorofOrm or ether
or ideas that they are heing poisoned By
articles introduced into their food
Again. to certain of them, plain hospital
fare NAV seem as the ambrosia of the
gods, and plain weak water as sweet
nectar.
knWith regard to feeling of cutaneous
sensibility, hallucinations and illusions
cannot be distinguished from each Other
as it is impossible often to tell whether
there is really any abnormal sensation
or not. uc VhriOup oounhViouS euu
some experience are very disagreeablt
and somewhat frightful, as when person
thinks that serpents are crawling ovel
him, or that frogs have taken lodging ir
his stomach, or that birds are in hiI
chest. or a dog in his head. A cast
which illustrates hallucipaticn of severa
senses is the following: A man was re
turning home one moonlight night, ant
was some That fatigued by his long walk
All at once it seemed to him Us if he
saw O great animal like o dragon roll
itself out of ditch by the roadside. HI
became exceedingly afraid. and at tho
same time felt himself painfully grasped
by the right shoulder by the animal
nevertheless, be could, as he said, free
himself by running. Immediately after
ward he fell into disease OF the
lungs, which affected his entire right
lung, and he died in short time
The various delusions of the insane,
whether they are in the form OF hallu
cinations or illusions, often render then
exceedingly dangerous to society. Fel
instance. q man commanded by God tt
kill his family, or some one in high office,
Il about as dangerous a factor to society
a. could be found. A man who thinks
that some one il sticking him will
knives every night, is very liable <
stick the porson who he imagines Il
sticking him. a man who thinks soms
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